Penglibatan Penduduk Rumah Panjang Kampung Sungai Bawang, Sibu dan Sungai Saeh, Miri, Sarawak dalam Sektor Tanaman Kelapa Sawit: Isu dan Cabaran

Involvement of Longhouse Residents at Kampung Sungai Bawang, Sibu and Sungai Saeh, Miri, Sarawak in Oil Palm Sector: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

The oil palm sector in Sarawak has grown rapidly for the last two decades. This is proven with the growing expansion of plantation area that increases every year. In the year 2011, the area for oil palm plantation in Sarawak is 1, 021 587 hectare and increased to 1, 439 359 hectare in the year 2015. Areas that have yet to be explored in Sarawak driven the government to develop them with oil palm plantation to increase the socioeconomic of the inland people. In line with that, the Sarawak government encourages the involvement of smallholder in oil palm development. The purpose of study done at Kampung Sungai Bawang, Sibu and at Sungai Saeh, Miri is to identify type of smallholders’ involvement in oil palm plantation sector and the issues arose as well as challenges that they encountered. This study uses qualitative research method. A total of nine oil palm smallholders interviewed openly. The result of the study shows that smallholders involved freely in full time and part time manner in developing oil palm crops. This study also found out that social and environmental issue exists and also other challenges faced by the smallholders such as access to infrastructure facilities, acquiring funds and shortage of manpower. This study is important to reveal what form of smallholders’ involvement in oil palm plantation sector that is deemed as a new agriculture followed by solutions to challenges they faced.